Services

: Supply chain and market research

Profundo provides research, advice and training services. With our multi-disciplinary team we aim to dig deeper and look further, to help you most effectively in realising your sustainable ambitions. Select one of our five thematic areas to get a brief description of the services we offer per area. Contact us to find out more, as we always aim to tailor our approaches to the needs of our clients!

Value chains and human rights

We analyse the various human rights and other sustainability risks in international commodity supply chains and identify what different stakeholders can do to foster sustainable development of value chains in agriculture, forestry, livestock, energy, fisheries and mineral sectors. Our services:

Supply chain mapping: identifying stakeholders in international supply chains and quantifying trade relationships, to analyse and visualize the power relations in the chain;

Risk analysis: analysing human rights, gender inequality and biodiversity risks in the production and processing stages of international supply chains;

Finance and tax

We analyse how companies are financed by banks, shareholders and others financiers, to assess what financiers could do to foster sustainable corporate practices. Also, we dig into ownership structures and the schemes companies have set up to minimise tax payments. Our services:

Financiers’ analysis: identifying the financiers of companies and assessing their potential influence on corporate practices;

Portfolio screening: analysing the portfolios of financiers and their exposure to various Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks through their investments;

Ownership analysis: unravelling corporate ownership structures and mapping the power relations between different stakeholders of large corporate groups;

Regulatory research: analysing international developments in financial sector regulation and assessing opportunities to include sustainability criteria;

Market analysis: analysing levels of vertical and horizontal integration of markets and sectors, to assess the influence of corporate players on investments, employment and sustainability; and

Training finance and tax: providing training and capacity development for local and international stakeholders on financial and tax issues.

Responsible investments

We assess and benchmark responsible investment and credit policies of banks and investors and we advise on how policies can be improved and implemented through screening, voting, engagement and exclusion strategies. Our services:

Benchmarking SRI policies: assessing Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) and credit policies of banks and investors, benchmarking them against international CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and SRI standards and best practices;

SRI advice: advising financial institutions how their responsible investment and credit policies can be improved and how they can be implemented effectively through screening, voting, engagement and exclusion strategies;

Campaign advice: advising Civil Society Organisations on how to engage with financial institutions in order to reach their objectives;

CSR research: evaluating if companies live up to sustainability and CSR standards, for example with regards to labour rights, resource management and biodiversity impacts;

Impact investment advice: advising how financiers could contribute actively to finding solutions for urgent sustainability challenges - ranging from climate change to armed conflicts, water scarcity and income inequality; and

Training responsible investments: providing training and capacity development as well as process facilitation for local and international stakeholders on responsible investment and credit policies and practices.

Equity analysis

We analyse the financial parameters of companies and assess how companies and their financiers could be affected in different scenarios by Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks related to deforestation, climate change emissions, human rights abuses, resource depletion, health impacts and other sustainability issues. Our services:

Company analysis: analysing a company’s business model, management practices and the financial parameters relevant to banks and investors;

ESG risk analysis: assessing the financial impacts of changes related to ESG risks in the environment in which companies are operating, such as stronger policies of governments, buyers and financiers;

Corporate benchmarking: comparing companies in a sector on financial as well as sustainability indicators, to identify best practices;

Financial modelling: modelling cash flow and stock price impacts of the exposure to stranded assets of companies which are not addressing sustainability risks effectively; and

Strategic advice: advising investors on how to prevent exposure to sustainability risks and how to become a driving force for sustainable transformation.

Public policy

We analyse public policies in the economic, tax and environmental domains, which could shape or restrain the sustainable transformation of the corporate and financial world, and propose alternative policies. Our services:

Policy assessment: analysing how existing policies of national governments or multilateral bodies shape the (sustainable) development of markets and sectors;

Lobbying research: mapping the power of (corporate) actors involved in lobbying and shaping public policies;

Cost-benefit analysis: making a social and environmental cost-benefit analysis of proposed policy interventions;

Policy advice: drafting alternative policies and designing new policy instruments, which could facilitate the sustainable transformation of markets and sectors; and

Training public policy: providing training and capacity development for local and international stakeholders on analysing and influencing public policies.

Supply chain and market research

We analyse how various commodities find their way from production countries to the supermarket through international supply chains and we analyse the market power of companies operate in crucial markets. Our services:

Supply chain mapping: identifying stakeholders in international supply chains and quantifying trade relationships, to analyse and visualize the power relations in the chain;

Market analysis: analysing levels of vertical and horizontal integration of markets and sectors, to assess the influence of corporate players on investments, employment and sustainability;

Lobbying research: mapping the power of (corporate) actors involved in lobbying and shaping public policies; and